All self-isolation and no schedule makes Ben a dull boy.
Wow, so this has been an interesting time, eh? I've been going back and forth on what to talk about coming back from hiatus. Honestly I was going to make a post about clothing today; (which is still coming) however I feel like I need to write this for my own sanity.
This f&#@ing sucks.
Don't get me wrong, self-isolation and quarantine right now are NECESSARY to decrease community spread, protect the immunodeficient, and help lessen the strain on our healthcare system. This isn't just about ourselves, it's about helping others.
That being said, it is okay to be upset, and scared during this. Just about the entire Autism community across the board is struggling right now in some form or another. We are categorized for loving routine and structure; and everything is chaos right now. It genuinely feels like I'm moving through a fog right now.
Try to keep some kind of routine though, this will be our saving grace in all of this. Anything that you can *SAFELY* do daily. For me, this includes waking up no later than 10:30 each day (for the most part!) and feeding our cats each morning. Then I play about an hour of Animal Crossing, then open time for rest of day until dinner. Something as small as that has helped tremendously in feeling like my days are separated, and time isn't slipping and folding into itself.
Fresh air and moving your body is also super important. Don't feel pressured by 'health and well-being' posts, intense exercise can be great and beneficial for some people, the rest of us just don't have a drive and passion for it. Don't feel like you need to be doing hand stand push-ups to make the most of your day. Go for a walk, as long as you're distancing from others, it's still more than safe; and also allows you to get sunlight! I also enjoy dancing like a damn fool, making my wife embarrassed for me! (Not gonna brag, but my twerk game? Fresh)
Stimulate your brain!! Do anything that keeps your brain going, read, write, do puzzles, play puzzle games, LEARN SOMETHING. Use this time to go crawling back to that damn Duolingo Owl. I like to watch educational videos on Youtube, and save anything you think you could go back to for reference! Maybe learn a new skill. While all of this is amazing, also understand that this is a genuinely terrifying and borderline traumatic time, so if you're not filling your entire day with this stuff; DON'T GET DOWN ON YOURSELF! Set some time to just have fun, just have a brain-numbing good time.
Change things up too! Even if you're swapping between house layouts, something as simple as moving furniture around can help immensely. My wife and I switched the couches and the beds for 2 days, had a nice movie marathon each night on our TV from the comfort of our bed! I'm going to be posting about some more movies and series moving forward during this time, to help give some ideas on what to watch!
Seriously, it is okay to be scared right now, anyone who says they aren't are either a) lying, b) wealthy enough to not be affected by this at all (Which is like, could you imagine?? What a damn broken system)
Remember, as terrible as this is, we will get through this, and since I'm not a random celebrity writing this from their mansion; We WILL get through this together.
Stay safe, and I hope you have a fantasti
